Straight From The Heart – May 15, 2020

Since the closure of City Hall on March 17, City personnel have worked to maintain continual delivery of essential services to our residents and respond to all communications in a quick, timely manner. On Tuesday May 12, and in compliance with State orders, City Hall opened to the public. Hours of operation will be from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  While we strongly recommend the continual utilization of on-line resources and the City Hall drop box option for utility bill payments, walk-in payments will be accepted on May 12.

Although it is a significantly positive step-forward, this re-opening comes with restrictions to assure the safety of City Staff and all visitors to the building. In accordance with the State of Ohio Stay Safe Order, the following procedures will go into effect commencing May 12: 

• Exiting and Entering the Building. We ask that all visitors to City Hall enter from the west side entrance of the building (parking lot) and exit through the south side entrance (West Loveland Ave.);
• Specific Hours for At-Risk Populations. Between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M., City Hall will be dedicated to serve senior citizens and at-risk visitors only;
• General Hours of Operation. City Hall will be open from 9:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M. to general, non-At-Risk Populations. City Hall will close at 4:00 P.M. to allow employees to clean their work-spaces and lobby/common areas;
• Facial Coverings. Per State orders, City Staff will be wearing facial coverings. Although not required, we recommend that visitors wear facial coverings as a best practice when visiting City Hall;
• Visitor Access. Visitor access will be restricted to the main lobby/common areas;
• Restroom Access. Access to City Hall building restrooms will not be made available to the public at this time.
• Physical Spaces. Social distancing of a minimum of 6 feet between people within the lobby/common areas is required;
• Building Occupancy. Occupant capacity within City Hall will be limited to meet social distancing guidelines;
• Business Meetings. In-person, face to face meetings with City Staff must be made by appointment in advance and approved by the City Manager.

Just like our residents and businesses, we at City Hall are adjusting to the various restrictions in place.  As a result, health and safety modifications to City Hall are currently underway. These modifications will permanently restrict access to areas outside of the main lobby/common areas, including restroom facilities.  Glass protection has been installed at the Utility and Building Department counters, and sanitizing stations have been added to the lobby/common areas.

On behalf of all of City Staff, we greatly appreciate the patience of our residents, business, and other stakeholders as we adjust our operations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.  We will continue to monitor the evolution of this situation and update our residents as information is made available. We welcome any questions or concerns to be submitted via email at [email protected].

As part of this year’s capital improvements budget the City of Loveland has installed an AED, Automated External Defibrillator, at the City Clock along the Loveland Bike Trail. The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department has long been promoting a heart smart community with installation of AED’s in public buildings such as schools, churches, and large commercial buildings.

This device will be readily available to the public for cardiac emergencies in the Historic District. The cabinet is climate controlled to keep the AED at its peak performance. When the AED is removed from the cabinet the 9-1-1 center is automatically notified and an ambulance is dispatched to the area of the clock. In addition, the City’s 9-1-1 camera system will record the person who is removing the AED in the 9-1-1 Center.

“Having an AED on hand during a cardiac emergency will save lives,” stated District Fire Chief Mike Books who is responsible for the Fire Department’s paramedic program. Patients in sudden cardiac arrest have a much better chance of recovery with little or no heart muscle damage.

“Learning to use an AED and learning CPR should be everybody’s responsibility,” stated Fire Chief Otto Huber. Our department provides this training to our residents throughout the year. Residents can go to www.lsfd.org to learn more about how you can help to keep our community heart smart.

Previously, the DORA was in effect only during specific events, e.g. July 4, Saint Patrick’s Day, and New Year’s Eve. Through the adoption of legislation on April 28, 2020 by City Council, and authorized by the City Manager, the DORA is now in effect seven days a week, from noon to 11:00 p.m.  This modification runs for a period of sixty days, with the option of an additional sixty-day extension.

Why did City Council and the City Manager take this action? Quite simply to help our downtown restaurants recover from the impact of the restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.  By modifying the DORA legislation, the City has expanded the outdoor seating area of each of our downtown restaurants and bars to an area that now includes the boundaries of the DORA.  As restaurants begin to slowly re-open, they will have limited occupancy.  With the amended DORA, restaurants will be able to serve more customers as they will have the option to order food and an alcoholic beverage and utilize various seating areas located within the DORA boundaries.

Although unanticipated congregation along portions of West Loveland clearly occurred on the opening of the modified DORA hours, all in all it was a success for our restaurants and our visitors. Also, it is very apparent that we (city staff) needed to make additional modifications to better encourage social distancing while within the DORA boundaries.  As we approach our second weekend with the modified DORA in place, the City has further expanded outdoor seating areas to include the front lawn of City Hall and has secured additional signage to remind visitors to avoid congregating.  Also, some businesses along West Loveland Avenue are modifying how they will be serving their customers to provide for better social distancing.

While the modification of the DORA is a positive for the businesses and a welcome escape for so many that have been staying close to home, the City cannot emphasize enough how important it is that visitors to our beautiful downtown district practice social distancing. It is also important to note that all rules regarding the DORA remain in place and we encourage anyone with questions, to please go to our website for more information about the DORA by clicking here.

The Comprehensive Plan is in the second phase of development. A Comprehensive Plan steering committee has been established to provide an outline for business development, traffic, parking, neighborhood preservation, and many other key issues involving the future of the City of Loveland.  Public engagement is strongly encouraged. However, social distancing guidelines and building occupancy restrictions will be in place. As such, viewership will be available via YouTube Live by subscribing to the Loveland, Ohio City Government channel. It is anticipated that the first meeting will be held at the end of June at the Loveland City Hall. In addition to meeting attendance, a brief eleven question Googledocs survey is attached: https://forms.gle/pMVMnRZjDfshofHa9. Participation in this survey will significantly aid in the development of the City’s comprehensive plan.

The Building and Zoning Department is pleased to report amid the pandemic the following development projects continue to move forward:

1. 115 Karl Brown Way (Bond Warehouse) in the Downtown District, has submitted an application for their fire line and water tap permits. Both permits were issued.  The renovations to this building will be adding both a Mexican and Italian restaurant as well as a conference room.
2. DJ’s Food Mart, located at 320 Loveland-Madeira Road has submitted plans to convert their building into a laundry mat. The plans have been approved.  
3. The project at the Fischer building in the Commerce Park has completed the addition to their building and has been issued a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.
4. TriHealth continues a remodel of their facility with permits for alterations being issued. The alterations include the addition of a physical therapy section.

Please remember that protecting the aesthetics, integrity, vitality, and property values of residential neighborhoods and commercial zones are integral to health, safety, and wellness; and provides a sense of propriety that assists in the growth of personal and community investment.  As springtime approaches in the coming months, here are a couple of tips that will enhance the appearance and value of your home.

1. Remove and replace loose peeling paint;
2. Trim back trees or foliage to provide for additional sunlight to exterior mold areas;
3. Cleaning and removing leaves, branches, and debris regularly from gutters can prevent damage to fascia, soffit, roofing, and in some cases leakage into your home;
4. Proper storage of vehicles that are inoperable and/or unlicensed; 
5. Proper storage of lawn equipment, trash, garbage, and refuse; and
6. Removal of any mold or mildew that may be surfacing on exterior walls 

To report an issue or problem please click here.

Congratulations, Loveland residents! In 2019, we recycled 1,058.57 tons of metal, glass, plastic, and paper. Residents saved resources, conserved energy, and reduced pollution by not sending these items to the landfill.

The recycling efforts in Loveland:

• Conserved enough energy to power every home in Loveland for 14 days.
• Reduced more air pollution than if every household in Loveland rode their bicycle to work for 9 weeks.
• Saved 9,141 trees from being harvested.

On average, each household in Loveland recycled 433 pounds in 2019. That’s 20.33% of all the waste we generate. 

Want to start recycling? Call 683-0150 to request your recycling cart today. Check out the list below to make sure you recycle the correct items.  Have a question about recycling?  Call Hamilton County’s Recycling Hotline at 513-946-7766 or visit HamiltonCountyRecycles.org. 

In 1990, Tim Berner published a proposal about something called the “World Wide Web.” It’s hard to believe how much has changed in 30 years. To those of us that can remember it may seem like a lifetime ago. During National Police Week LPD asks you to pause and honor the extraordinary service of Officer Tim Wilmes who began his law enforcement journey 30 years ago.

Tim grew up in Loveland and never left his beloved hometown. He worked at a Loveland business while working his way through college and began his career with the LPD family in May, 1990. Over the years Tim became active on the bike team, as a field trainer, and managing the LPD fleet. He is often affectionately referred to as “fleet services” by his friends in the LPD family and still serves as “fleet services” today. It was during his time in fleet services that his love of the Ford Crown Victoria grew. Today, Tim is famous for patrolling town in his Crown Vic! But it is Tim’s passion for his community, and keeping it safe, that we are all the most thankful for. Although Loveland has changed quite a bit in 30 years, Tim is always a constant reminder to us that we exist to provide the very best service for our community. And that is what keeps LPD, and Loveland, so special.

Thank you for 30 years, Tim!        

May 25, 2020 – Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony. Members of the Loveland Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) will be placing wreaths at the Veterans Memorial.

May 31 – Concert in the Park

June 6 – Bands and Brews 

For a list of upcoming meetings, click here.